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CARNOL PROCESS FOR CO2 MITIGATION FROM POWER PLANTS AND THE TRANSFORMATION SECTOR
Citation:
Steinberg, M. CARNOL PROCESS FOR CO2 MITIGATION FROM POWER PLANTS AND THE TRANSFORMATION SECTOR. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-96/003 (NTIS PB96-145065), 1996.
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
The report describes an alternative mitigation process that would convert waste carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon an methanol using natural gas as process feedstock. The process yields 1 mole of methanol from each mole of CO2 recovered, resulting in a net zero CO2 emission when the methanol is used as transportation fuel to displace petroleum. Further CO2 can be mitigated by sequestering the carbon byproduct. A computer simulation of the process was used to perform materials and energy balances. Preliminary economics of the process are evaluated. Two process modifications are identified that could lead to further improvements. The application of CO2 mitigation technologies such as this depends on how seriously the country and the world consider the global warming problem since they would involve massive capital investments and fundamental changes in energy use problems. (NOTE: Among the options for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of global climate change is the removal, recovery, and sequestration of CO2 from central power plants that primarily burn coal. Various technologies for accomplishing that strategy are under investigation elsewhere. Carbon is much less difficult to sequester than CO2.)